A Look into UMN’s Sexual Assault Task Force
**Trigger Warning: Topics discussing sexual assault
The University of Minnesota’s Undergraduate Student Government houses three task forces, one of them being the Sexual Assault Task Force (or SATF). This task force focuses on amplifying the once-silenced voices of victims, creating a zero-tolerance campus environment for sexual assault, hosting educational events for our community, and fundraising for our campus’ Aurora Center for Advocacy and Education. This year the task force has worked tirelessly to create new programs and prevention tactics to better the campus. We had the pleasure of interviewing this year’s task force chair, Sameen Faisal, on everything SATF has been working on this year.
As the chair of SATF, Sameen, who is a current senior here at the U of M, serves as a contact between undergraduate students and administration concerning all matters of sexual misconduct. Sameen works on and creates projects with her team committed to supporting survivors of sexual violence, informing the community about rights and resources, advocating for consent practices and comprehensive sexual education, and promoting bystander intervention.
This year Sameen and her team are working towards achieving some significant goals. They are currently working with Boyton Health Services to have provisions and implementations of trauma-responsive care. Additionally, they are working to increase greater accessibility of mental health services at Boyton Health, as requested by students. The team is also striving to achieve two major goals: a comprehensive resource website and university-wide data transparency. They have also put on a self-defense workshop and are planning on hosting another one in the near future.
So far, the task force has created two resolutions, one for creating data transparency across the university, and the second for the creation of a centralized resource website for sexual misconduct and mental health. According to Sameen, “Resolutions are essentially bills that will be presented to higher administration once passed through our governing bodies.” The team has also been doing a lot of internal work, seeing what they can accomplish through collaboration with various administrators and their offices.
When asked what she would like people to know about how our campus responds to sexual assault, Sameen states, “The university collects a lot of data and has many programs working to lower sexual assault rates. However, [Undergraduate Student Government] is working to make sure that these trauma response programs are implemented correctly and effectively, and also that the data is accessible to all students.” Overall, Sameen wants people to recognize that sexual misconduct on a large campus like ours is a huge concern for students. Additionally, it goes further than sexual misconduct—it also deals with the healthcare and mental health services students receive on campus, which is crucial for students’ well-being.
As Sameen nears the end of her time at the Univesity of Minnesota and with the task force, she looks back proudly on all her accomplishments. Her most rewarding accomplishment involved the creation of the centralized resource website. On this, she says, “I think for a long time as a university, especially a large university, it is something that we have needed. Sort of a one-stop-shop where resources are easily accessible to all students.” She feels with the implementation of this website, students and staff alike will feel safer and more confident when reaching out for help.
Thank you to Sameen and the entire Sexual Assault Task Force for giving us a peak into your endeavors! Make sure to keep an eye out for the many educational events and important works being done by SATF!
Pictured: SATF Group Meeting
Pictured: Sameen Faisal
